Close Save
by Julia451
Summary: Gale/Madge Gadge one-shot. Set pre-series. While making his routine stop at Madge's back door, Gale almost gets caught by a group of Peacekeepers with his bag full of black market game and plants, and Madge has to act quickly to save him.


"Hey, Gale."

"Hey, Madge."

The mayor's daughter opened the door all the way and stepped outside. "How's Katniss?" she asked.

"Much better," Gale assured her. "I just came from her place. Her mother says she should be over her flu in a few days."

"I bet she can't wait to get back to the woods," Madge observed quite accurately, surprising Gale even more than the fact that she cared how Katniss was doing. She almost spoke like the girl from the Seam was her friend.

"Neither can I," said Gale, turning to look over his shoulder for the hundredth time since he'd slipped back under the fence. Returning from the woods later than usual was one of his least favorite risks of hunting alone.

"They wouldn't give you any trouble," he heard Madge say, as if she could read how his mind was alert for the Peacekeepers making their dusk patrol. "Where would they get their fresh meat and vegetables without you?"

Gale turned back to her. "No guarantee the ones I run into will be customers." Surely even a sheltered town girl like Madge knew not all Peacekeepers could be trusted, even in District 12. "I saw a team coming right towards me on my way to the Hob."

If he didn't know any better, Gale would have thought Madge actually sounded worried about him as she asked, "Did they see you?"

"No, I cut into an alley before they could." She still looked concerned. He smiled as he added, "It was actually good luck for you. I couldn't get to the Hob, so you get first pick today." He removed his game bag from his shoulder and opened it – still an excellent haul even after what he had left with the Everdeens.

Madge smiled back at him. "I hope you remembered my..."

Gale removed the pouch from the bag and held it out to her before she could finish. "One order of fresh strawberries, miss. Best batch I've seen this season," he said truthfully.

Madge took a small bite of one. "Mmm, you can say that again."

"Best batch I've seen this season," he repeated obligingly as she ate the rest of it. She held one out to him, but he shook his head. She reached into her pocket and held an extra generous helping of coins out to him instead. He hesitated but took them – the harvest was worth it, it was perfectly fair.

Madge leaned towards his bag as if something else had caught her eye. "Catch a lot of rabbits today?"

"No – my snares did," Gale answered proudly.

"Give me three of them, would you?" she asked next, reaching into her pocket for more money. "My mother loves rabbit stew."

"All yours," the hunter said as they made the trade. "I also found a good haul of wild mushrooms today, if you're interested."

"Absolutely – how much?"

Gale smiled again in spite of himself. Transactions with Madge Undersee usually didn't last this long. If he'd known he could make such a good profit here, he would bring more than just strawberries. "You really like them?" he asked as he handed her the mushrooms.

He saw Madge begin to answer and then pause, as if changing her mind about what she ought to say. She finally sighed and said, almost nervously, "Well, I've always wanted to try them. Just never had the chance. Now's as good a time as any, right?"

Gale narrowed his eyes and looked at her in silence for a bit before saying, "Sure, why not?" Why would Madge Undersee lie to him about liking what he brought from the woods? That couldn't be it. She was probably just ashamed of all the money she was now showing him by buying more than usual. Well, that would do her some good; he'd certainly be ashamed if he had food and money to spare while people were starving around him. Rich people like the mayor's family and the merchants – they didn't care about anyone but themselves.

"Wow," Madge gasped as she spotted something else. "That's a beautiful goose."

Gale removed it and held it up in front of her. "Thanks. Katniss and I would have gotten a lot more than just one if she'd been there. I was saving it for old Cray; he prefers turkey, but I didn't see any today, so I'm hoping he'll settle for this." The Head Peacekeeper was a complete piece of scum, but he paid well for a plump, wild turkey.

"How much does he pay you?" Madge asked.

"Why?"

"I'll double it."

Gale raised his eyebrows. "You want this, too?"

"Sure..." Madge's smile disappeared as the worry returned to her voice. "Is... is that a problem?"

Gale didn't understand his attitude himself. Since when were good offers a problem? _When they're __**too**__ good_, he answered himself. Madge was being way too generous tonight. She didn't really want the food – she just felt sorry for him! He ought to take all the money she'd given him and throw it in her face. The thought of the mayor's daughter pitying him was unbearable. He'd actually grown to believe over the past few months that Madge Undersee was a decent person, even if she was from town, land of full stomachs, warm homes, and no tesserae. But she was just another snob who looked down on him like the rest of them, who thought he was a worthless, pitiful Seam boy who couldn't take care of himself...

_So much for her not caring about anyone but herself_, he silently laughed to himself. The private sarcastic remark stopped his rage in its tracks, however. _Make up your mind, Hawthorne_, some invisible accuser in his head demanded. _Do you want her to care about you and your family and share the wealth, or not? You can't have it both ways._ He couldn't hate her both for being rich and for sharing her riches with him. He'd have to pick one.

_How about neither?_ the same voice asked. _Maybe you could admire her for being so kind the same way she obviously admires you for being such a great hunter. Maybe she just wants to help you the way you and Katniss always help each other. That's noble, isn't it? Maybe she wants to be your friend and not just a customer – how else would you let her show it?_

Gale shook his head to stop the ludicrous thoughts. The mayor's daughter, with her aristocratic blonde hair tied in shiny silk ribbons, care about him? See him as a potential friend? Town folk didn't look at those from the Seam that way. _Maybe she's different_, the voice suggested. _Then she wouldn't feel sorry for me_, Gale insisted. _Maybe she doesn't. Maybe she thinks you deserve it_, he heard. For what? What could Madge see in him to make her care about him? Even if she did, should he encourage that? _If it means a bigger profit, yes_, he decided.

"No, no problem," he said aloud. He handed over the goose. Cray _was_ one of his most unpleasant customers to deal with, after all – being able to skip him was no loss.

"Thanks," Madge said as she paid him.

"You're welcome," he replied, pocketing her generous payment and thinking of all the things it would mean for his mother and siblings. "What else do you like? I'll try to bring it from now on." _To make more money_, he silently insisted.

Madge shook her head. "Don't go to any trouble. Just bring what you always do, and I'll check it out..."

"What do you like?" Gale repeated.

Madge smiled and pondered his question for a second. "Well... find any beehives lately? I sure could go for some honey."

"Spotted one a few days ago, actually. Had to ignore it because of some stupid wild dog, though. I'll check it out again next time."

"I'll make it worth your while," Madge promised.

"I'll hold you to that," Gale said with his own smile.

"Just don't forget the strawberries, too."

"Never," Gale vowed. "I don't know how you can eat so many, though."

She opened the pouch and held one out to him again. "Care to find out?"

"Not today, thanks," Gale said, shaking his head and pushing her hand back.

"Come on, you have to. They're so delicious."

"I've eaten strawberries before, Madge. I've already had one of these. They're yours now – enjoy."

"Take it as a tip for coming here first today," she tried to argue.

Gale laughed at her determination. "Maybe if it had sugar, I'd consider it?"

"You want sugar?" she asked. He was completely unprepared for what she said next. "I've got sugar and cream inside. Want to come in and have a snack before you leave for the Hob? There's plenty of berries here for both of us."

Fortunately, that would be breaking such a crucial rule of conducting business in District 12's black market that he didn't have to consider this offer for even a nanosecond. "I... don't think your parents would..."

"They're not home," she said nonchalantly. "They wouldn't mind."

That left him no choice but to say directly, "I can't, Madge." He closed his significantly-lightened game bag and hoisted it back onto his shoulder. "I've got to get to the Hob before..."

It was a sound behind him that interrupted him this time. He turned to his left and saw he was now in the situation he'd been dreading: a team of four or five Peacekeepers walking in his direction as they made their rounds, him with a bag full of contraband game and wild plants, no way to explain how he'd gotten it all without trespassing in the forbidden forest, and nowhere to run or hide in this narrow alley behind the houses. If the odds were in his favor, they'd all be trusted customers who would simply start a bidding war over the biggest rabbit; if they weren't and they caught him right in the middle of a black market deal, he was doomed.

Madge realized the danger the same instant he did. She pushed her back door open wider and kicked her purchases over the threshold. "Get inside, quick!" she said.

The beam of a flashlight shining through the dusk shot right over to them at the noise. "Who's there?" a voice called.

"Too late – they've seen us," said Gale as the light roved over the area.

"Who's up there?" a different voice called out.

Gale tried to size up the situation. If he ran for it or ducked inside, it would instantly arouse their suspicions, and they would give chase. They had already sped up their pace. When they got close enough to see how he was dressed, they would easily be able to tell that he was from the Seam and didn't have any business lurking in the back alleys of town. The conditions were the absolute worst possible for getting caught. How was he going to explain what he was doing here? No plausible explanation, no cover story, no way out was coming to him. He was trapped.

Madge closed the door all the way and hurried to his side. "Run for it," she whispered. "Before they get a good look at you."

"They'd follow me," he said calmly. They were both facing the direction of the approaching light.

"You can go out the front door..."

"They'd search and then follow me."

"Hey, you there!" someone yelled to them.

Gale clenched his fist, cursing both himself for getting caught and the laws he was running from. "They've caught me now."

Madge abruptly turned to face him. "Not yet," she whispered icily. Without warning, she reached forward, grabbed the front of his shirt in both hands, spun him around, and thrust his back against the wall of her house. It happened too fast for Gale to fight back even if he hadn't been frozen in shock. "Follow my lead," she said, a terrified look on her face.

She leaned forward and kissed him full on the mouth.

"What's going on over there?" The sound snapped Gale back to his senses. He realized what Madge's plan was, how she was going to hide what he was really doing here. Without thinking about what he was doing (having no time to think or question helped), he dropped his bag and threw his arms around her. When the Peacekeepers approached they found two teenagers pressed against the wall, kissing and embracing each other with all their might.

Gale heard one of them wolf whistle and some others whispering things he couldn't make out, but he kept his eyes closed, pretending he was too busy to notice them. One of them finally cleared his throat very loudly and shined the flashlight right in their faces. Madge stopped and gasped as if in shocked embarrassment. Gale took her cue and opened his eyes. The Peacekeepers were staring at them, some in disdain, some in amusement, but with no indication that they'd noticed his game bag or were interested in looking inside it if they had.

Less than a second after they stopped, Gale felt Madge squeeze his shoulder. With no idea how he understood the signal, he pulled her face back around towards him and went back to kissing her, as if he was too impatient to let random passersby interrupt them. She struggled with him for a few seconds, apparently trying to tell him this was no longer a good time, before giving up. He heard their audience laugh at the tableau.

"Be careful there, young lady," one of them snickered. A woman's voice mumbled something about what they said about boys from the Seam. Their companions' laughter and groans of "Kids these days" grew fainter. Once the heavy tread of their boots on the gravel path finally died away, Gale finally felt it was safe to stop. Madge pulled away at the same time he stopped moving, and he found himself staring into her eyes, breathing heavily, sweat dripping from his brow, with his hands around her waist, hers on his shoulders.

He told himself the two of them had better wait in case they came back, but he knew they wouldn't. There was nothing unusual or suspicious about a town girl meeting a boy from the Seam for a tête a tête behind a house. Nothing in the sight to hold their interest for more than a few seconds as they passed. It was a brilliant move. Why hadn't he thought of it? He pushed the question aside as soon as it came to him.

Gale realized Madge was shaking. "You all right?" he asked, wondering why he couldn't speak louder.

Madge was still shaking, but her voice was perfectly steady as she answered, "Oh, yeah... I'm all right." She sighed deeply and bowed her head.

"That was close," Gale observed redundantly.

Madge whispered the obligatory, "Too close," before she raised her head. "For a minute there, I didn't think it was going to work."

Gale grinned at her as he said, "That was a brilliant move. You do that often?"

Madge grinned back, "Only for hunters who bring me black market strawberries and meat."

"Glad to know you provide protection for hazardous work conditions." Said hunter turned in the direction where the Peacekeepers left. "They're gone." Only after he stated the obvious again did he realize he and Madge were still holding each other.

Madge followed his gaze. "Think they recognized either of us?"

Gale shook his head. "No, or they would have stopped. We're clear." They turned back to face each other but otherwise didn't move. "They didn't even notice the contraband."

"That's what I was hoping for," Madge said. The grin quickly vanished from her face, to be replaced by another look of horror. "I'm sorry I had to do that, Gale..."

"You are?" He heard himself ask it but didn't know why.

Madge shook her head vigorously. "I mean, I'm sorry I... it just came to me, I wasn't thinking, there wasn't time, I'm sorry I couldn't..."

"It's okay, Madge," Gale assured her. He felt her body start to relax. "I'm sorry you had to do that."

"I'm not." Gale did a double-take when she said that. "I mean," she said frantically, "I'm glad it worked. I couldn't let them..."

"I owe you one," Gale said before he finally nudged her away from him.

"You don't owe me anything," Madge said as she let him go. Gale raised his eyebrow, and she looked away from him and blushed. The sight somehow made Gale realize what he had just done. He wouldn't be surprised if he was blushing himself.

_It was just an act_, he told himself. _She was just protecting you. That's all. It's over._ It was hard to focus on this reassuring information when his brain kept replaying the scene – every motion, every touch, every terrified heartbeat, every second they'd had their arms wrapped around each other. Gale had kissed quite a few girls in his life but never one like that. The more he tried not to think about it, the more clearly he seemed to relive it.

_She was just protecting you..._ She had saved him. She had been smart enough and quick enough to save him, brave enough to rise to the occasion instead of cowering in fear. Okay, it was impressive, but why was the thought only giving him the urge to take Madge in his arms again and...

Gale shook the thought off before it could finish. "I'd better go," he said slowly, reaching down to pick up his game bag.

"Be careful," said Madge softly.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine – thanks to you." Thanks... he hadn't thanked her yet. "Thanks, Madge."

She gulped and said very formally, "You're welcome, Gale." She reached up and brushed some hair out of her face. Gale took a step towards her and she dropped her arm.

Gale tried to figure out why he'd stepped closer to her. "Bye," he ultimately said for an excuse. She began leaning towards him, and he followed suit without thinking. Then she suddenly backed away and ran inside without another word, closing the door behind her.

Gale found himself staring at her back door for a moment before shouldering his bag and walking away. The next thing he knew, he was at the Hob with no memory of how he'd gotten there. That close call must have shaken him up more than he realized.

_Yes, it was a close one_, he thought as he made his way over to Greasy Sae's stall. He'd come so close...


End file.
